"My friend is a decorator!"

...Wrong! Your friend is a designer and there is a HUGE difference.

This post is in no disrespect to interior decorators or stylist because their eye for colour, composition and creativity is undeniable. It is however to help you gain an understanding of the two professions, the similarities, differences, overlap and the road to get there. Many people use these two terms interchangeably, however the two professions differ in critical ways.

Interior design is the art and science of understanding people's behaviour to create functional spaces within a building. Decoration is the furnishing or adorning of a space with fashionable or beautiful things.* In a nutshell, interior designers may decorate, but decorators do not design.

What makes someone an interior decorator?

Since decorators generally focus on decorative details, there is less of a need for formal education, most decorators will be either self-taught or have completed a certificate or a 2-year diploma program.

As a decorator, you are typically brought in near the end of a new build or renovation, or for project that may not have any construction at all. They are all about aesthetics and pull together the room with paint and wall coverings, soft furnishings, caseloads and accessories. It is common that they will have extensive knowledge on fabrics, colour and furniture layouts.

What makes someone an interior designer?

To become an interior designer, formal training is a necessity. Whether you take a 2-year diploma program or an intense 4-year Bachelor of Interior Design degree, the courses you take are much more diverse and complex than that of a decorator.

An interior designer is integrated into a project (ideally) very earlier on and they have more of an interdisciplinary approach. They are responsible for not only making a space look beautiful in the end, but also the integration all aspects of the building envelop, including but not limited to HVAC, electrical, structural and plumbing.

A day in the life...

Interior decorator

• Meeting with clients to determine their wants, needs and style

• Creating furniture plans

• Sourcing and purchasing of furnishings including upholstery, caseloads lighting and accessories

• Creating custom soft furnishings such as window treatments, bedding and more

• Installation day and coordination of receiving goods

• Creating a timeline of tasks

• Being highly original

Interior designer

• All of the above plus...

• Taking existing measurements of a space and all existing inventory within

• Creating a scope of work and integration of schedules with construction

• Reading construction drawings

• 2D technical drawings including floor plans, elevations and details

• 3D renderings and concept boards

• Master specifications

• Fixture and finish selections

• Finish schedules

• Management between suppliers, fabricators and trades

• ...I could go on forever

I truly love elements from both professions and I could not see myself every eliminating either from my repertoire. I am an interior designer, although some days I also feel like part marriage counsellor. I received a 4-year Bachelor of Interior Design degree program from Humber College in Toronto. I was also a professor for the Interior Decorating program at Mohawk College in Hamilton. Every project I do is different and some require more of my decorating skills, others require more math, architectural and design skills.

The most important thing for you when selecting to work with a designer or decorator is to truly understand your project and need for support through it. I made my own "What people think I do" collage to help y'all understand a little better.

e.

* Excerpt from NCIDQ page

It was in my blood

As a professional interior designer with 10 years of experience in high end residential design and construction I am excited to share inspiration, insights and industry secrets for all things interior design.

It is no secret that I was basically born into this career, intense creativity runs in my family. A film editor, tv producer, journalist, sound engineer, and an interior stylist are just some of the professions that I had to inspire my young and inventive mind. Growing up, most designers would say that the urge to rearrange their room was unquestionable, but for me my room wasn't enough. Disclaimer - I have a ridiculously detailed memory of my childhood, I'm not quite sure how or why but I remember EVERYTHING.

I recall living on Trailwood Crescent in Kitchener, Ontario and at the time I thought I may have had a form of OCD, wanting everything to have a place and be perfectly organized, but in actuality I was practicing my trade. Trailwood Crescent was saturated with kids, there was only one problem...they were ALL boys. My brother, the neighbours Craig and Chris, across the street Matt and Mark, to the right of them Quentin (my childhood boyfriend) and his two brothers and of course the neighbourhood mischief-maker Arron. They always tried to get me to play boy things - video games, G.I Joe's, dinky cars and I wasn't having any of it (except for street hockey of course).

So when they asked me to come over and play, I would say of course, reluctantly play their silly boy games and then proceed to start organizing and re-arranging their stuff. I started with their bedrooms, moved on to the toy rooms and basements where we played and then one time I braved Matt and Mark's living room. Moving tables around, switching out pillows, you name it. Oh god to see the look of their parents faces now, I wonder what they thought? Needless to say, organizing, the circulation of space and adding the perfect final touch was in my blood.

Follow along my new blog Anthology, to understand the artistry that forms my mindful but competitive approach to design. I am fuelled by my passion for understanding the nuances of making a house a home and truly creating spaces that reflect each individual lifestyle.

e.